Too Close For Comfort
by GratsuFanatic
Summary: The ice mage fell to his knees as he was forced to watch as his rival, no his best friend turn into the very monster he had sworn to his father he would destroy. His heart sank at every cry of pain he heard escape the pinkette's mouth. He told himself that he could not kill Natsu, even if he was E.N.D. Gratsu


I'm doing something a little different with this story. You'll see when you read it!~ Enjoy this Gratsu Fic!~ please review if you enjoyed this!~

* * *

"N-no...It couldn't be...NO!"

The ice mage fell to his knees as he was forced to watch as his rival, no his best friend turn into the very monster he had sworn to his father he would destroy. His heart sank at every cry of pain he heard escape the pinkette's mouth. He told himself that he could not kill Natsu, even if he was E.N.D.

The transformation was now complete and who was once Natsu the overly excited dragon slayer was now a demon with horns as black as night and red scales covered most of his body but what shook Gray the most was his eyes. The once amber eyes were now the color of the blood on his hands.

Gray flinched at the sight in front of him, no this could not be Natsu this could not be the guy who was fighting along side him only mere minutes ago, no natsu could never be a demon, he was too cheerful. This could not be his best friend.

"N-Natsu?!" those red eyes snapped towards the ice mage's direction. There was absolutely no warmth in those eyes whatsoever. "Natsu! I know you're in there! Come back to us! Come back to your friends! Come back to me!" Gray didn't care what rolled off his tongue at that moment, he was too shaken up by the heated glare he was receiving.

The ice mage couldn't find it in himself to get up and fight the demon. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the vessel that once been Natsu and for a moment he thought he saw a flicker of amber in those red shot up from the ground and ran at the demon.

E.N.D stared at the approaching ice mage and he took a battle stance that was all too familiar. A wave of fire erupted from his mouth and Gray was forced to dodge.

"Ice Make: Shield!" he just barely had time to forge a shield when a flaming fist came hurling his way. He jumped out of the way of another attack as the shield shattered from the first.

The expression the ice mage's face held was that of fear. The demon had seen this and abruptly stopped as his fist was mere inches away from Gray's face. Gray's eyes widened as he stared into the demon's eyes, amber flecks appeared within the red. "Natsu?"

The demon pulled himself up and sat in a crouched position as he held his head shaking. Once he had stopped trembling his head shot towards Gray. the ice mage flinched at the sudden motion, but sat up when he noticed the hurt amber eyes staring at him. "Natsu!" he stumbled to get to his feet so he could get to the dragon slayer.

"No! Don't come to me! I don't want to hurt you!."

Gray halted his movements and his heart shattered from the next words that came out of the dragon slayer's mouth. "You have to kill me! Kill E.N.D! It's the only way!"

By now the other members of Fairy Tail had gathered around but kept their distance. They heard the words that left Natsu's lips and they all stared at him wide eyed as they realized he had become the very demon they feared. Tears welled up in Happy's eyes the moment Natsu said 'Kill me' and he had crashed into Lucy who hugged him as she cried herself. Master Makarov and Erza stared with shock, they couldn't even move.

Gray managed to stand up "Ice Devil's: Zeroth Long Sword!"

"Gray…" that name was the last thing Natsu said before the demon once again took over. He jumped to his feet and charged at the ice mage standing a few feet away from him.

Gray heard shouts from the other members telling him to move, to get out of the way before he was killed but he didn't budge, he took the attack from the demon as he blocked it with his sword. His mind was blank and his body moved on it's own, he managed to hit the demon a few times but the demon got the most hits. The ice mage could barely stand at this point. E.N.D came running in his direction and a fist collided with his face. The ice mage was knocked to the ground as E.N.D pounced on top of him. More punches came down across his face.

' _I can't move...Is this the end of me? I hear people shouting at me but I don't know what they are saying...How did it come to this?'_

* * *

Earlier that same day team Natsu was sitting down at their table in the guild hall and of course Natsu was being rowdy again, him and Gray had decided to pick up once again another fight which would probably be the 5th time that day. Today they seemed to just not get along at all, usually their fights wouldn't be this serious but someone hit a nerve along the way.

"Stupid ash for brains! I could beat you with my eyes closed!" He threw a punch towards the dragon slayer's face but it was easily dodged.

"Oh yeah! Then why are you on the ground? Ya stupid popsicle!" Natsu hit him so hard that Gray was knocked out for so many seconds before jumping up and doing the same thing to Natsu.

"You flame brained idiot! Now who's on the ground?! You're defeated just like your stupid dragon!" Gray had crossed the line and he realized it along with everyone else in the guild as he heard gasps arise from almost every one. "Natsu..I.." he took one look at the dragon slayer and instantly lost his words.

Natsu now had tear tracks on his face and fresh ones kept appearing, his eyes were shadowed from his hair but when he looked up there was pure hatred and betrayal in those amber eyes. "Don't! I hate you!" He abruptly stood up and marched out of the guild.

Erza gave him a look that said go after him and apologize now or i'm going to beat you up. Gray flinched and ran out of the guild to catch up with the dragon slayer.

Natsu found himself sitting by the river where him and Gray fought when they were kids, he didn't know why he had come here of all places considering he wanted no memory of the ice block at the moment. The dragon slayer had exaggerated a bit, he could never full out hate Gray, of course he was angry but that was to be expected when he had poured salt in an open wound.

Gray had caught up to him only to be surprised that he had come to the river instead of going, well anywhere else. He went up and sat next to the dragon slayer who had put his head down to hid his eyes. "Natsu...I want to apologize, I didn't mean to open a wound.."

The dragon slayer kept his gaze away, but he was trembling. "You didn't open a wound, you poured salt into an already open wound." he voice quivered as he spoke and the ice mage took notice.

"I'm really sorry Natsu"

"I'm sorry too Gray, I don't hate you, i'm just really upset with you." The pinkette looked into those deep blue eyes and Gray noticed then how much hurt showed in his amber ones.

"I know…" Natsu put his head on Gray's shoulder and the ice mage pulled him into a hug. "Let's go back to the guild"

Natsu nodded and he and Gray made their way back. Once back they sat at their table and just sat in silence but what everyone couldn't see was how Gray grabbed Natsu's hand in order to comfort him a bit.

Gray decided to head down to the library to get some peace for a bit. He wandered over to a section of books that had to do with demons. He picked out a random book, sat down and started to read it. There was something in this book that caught him off guard. The title of the chapter read 'how to kill a demon without killing the vessel it's caged in' he was quite certain that he'd never have to do this but he read it anyway.

Gray continued to read and finished the book, he put it back and as he was about to go back into the hall Warren had sent out a message that made the ice mage's stomach sink. Zeref was coming this way. He ran to the guild hall to see everyone was getting ready for a battle. He made his way over to Natsu who sent him a grin saying 'Let's beat this bastard!'. Gray simply nodded sending him a grin himself.

Once Zeref and his army had come in view the entire guild charged out and sent attack after attack to the army knocking out so many before they started to take out some of the fairies as well.

Natsu and Gray ganged up on Zeref but could barely land an attack on him. Once they managed to actually hit the black mage a few times he had pulled out a book that made Natsu freeze to his spot and gap at him with wide eyes. The book of E.N.D was here once again.

The ice mage took one look at Natsu and then to the book in Zeref's hands. ' _Why had natsu frozen like that, does he know something we don't?'_

Before Gray could open his mouth to get the dragon slayer to snap out of his daze Zeref opened the book. Natsu dropped to his knees and cried out in pain. The ice mage took a step back and stared at the dragon slayer with wide eyes "Natsu?! What's wrong?!" he didn't get an answer.

He just watched as his rival, no friend turn into the very demon he swore to kill.

* * *

As the ice mage still lay on the ground taking punch after punch from the demon he remembered the book he had read in the guild's library.

' _This is only used if a person becomes taken over by a demon. You must let the demon think you have won and when it thinks you are dead it will decide to leave. But that is when you get up and attack, when it's back is turned. You have to stab something sharp into the place where the heart would be but it has to be a millimeter from the actual heart, the demon heart is what you will hit. That will kill the demon inside.'_

The ice mage suddenly went limp as he pretended to be defeated, he seemed convincing enough considering he could hear the cries of his guild mates to snap out of it and get back up, but he just hoped he could convince the demon. He did.

E.N.D got up and took one look at the limp body in front of him and then he looked at the faces of the others as they cowered in fear at his gaze. The demon let out a sharp ragged laugh as he turned to head towards Zeref.

Erza ran over to Gray along with Lucy, happy and Wendy. They felt for a pulse and once they found one Wendy focused her healing magic on him. Gray was thankful, he didn't think he'd be able to get up after those hits.

Once wendy finished healing him Gray sat up, thanked her and then formed his zeroth long sword once again. The ice mage then made his way to the retreating demon and stabbed him.

"GRAY!?" He heard the shouts of his team mates as they watched him stab the demon. He knew they were wondering why the hell he would stab Natsu, his best friend..no right now he meant so much more to Gray and that is why he did it. He wanted to save him.

The demon let out a loud shriek before collapsing to his knees scratching at its chest. The ice mage took a few steps back and watched.

E.N.D was crying out in pain as his horns shattered and fell off, the scales burned away and the red eyes disappeared. He looked like Natsu again.

Gray had to run forward and catch the dragon slayer in his arms before he hit the ground. Natsu had become unconscious. A bubble of panic washed over the ice mage as he wondered if he hit the right spot or if he had just killed the guy.

The ice mage stood up and realized that zeref had retreated once Natsu was back to normal, he ran past everyone and into the guild. Team Natsu and the master followed along with everyone else. Gray went up to the infirmary and layed Natsu on one of the beds.

Wendy came up to them and focused her healing magic on the dragon slayer. Gray patiently waited for the young dragon slayer to finish and when she did she gave Gray a small smile. "I think he will be okay..he has a pulse so that's a good sign"

The ice mage nearly fell to his knees with relief. He thanked her and turned to the others that had appeared in the doorway.

The master approached Gray. "Gray, how did you know where to strike him? Any false move and he wouldn't be here right now."

Gray looked over at the dragon slayer laying on the bed and then back at the master. "I read it in a book down in the library. Ha, the one day I decide to read is the day we get attacked." he chuckled to himself and took notice of the smile that appeared on the master's face

"You did good my child" he walked over to Natsu and placed a hand on his before leaving the room.

Gray went and sat next to the dragon slayer's bed. The rest of the team took notice of the look on the ravens face and decided to let them be alone for a while.

"C'mon flame brain...wake up.." He took hold of the pinkette's hand and rubbed his thumb across the back of it and then placed a kiss to the hand.

After an hour or so the dragon slayer bolted up in bed with a yell. Gray, who had fallen asleep had been startled awake at the sound but relaxed when he seen the pinkette sitting upright on the bed, eyes wide and a hand over the bandages on his chest.

"You're awake!" he attacked Natsu with a hug which shocked him but soon returned the hug.

"What happened?"

"What do you remember?" Gray looked at him with serious eyes.

"I remember….I remember becoming E.N.D..and attacking you...Wait I thought I killed you? A-and how am I a-alive?" the dragon slayer began to tremble.

Gray held onto both of his hands to keep them from shaking. "I faked my defeat. And I killed the demon inside you...I had to stab near your heart.."

It took a moment for the words to reach the pinkette but when they did he sighed. "Wait a minute….you stabbed at my heart!? You could have killed me! Ya stupid popsicle! I...I.."

Gray chuckled "Hey now you were asking me to kill you earlier when you gained some control over the demon. Ash for brains"

The realization that Gray was right washed over the dragon slayer and he sighed in defeat "Oh yeah...I'm glad you didn't go through with it...but still you could have miscalculated! I didn't want to die! I-" his words were cut off by Gray placing his lips down on his. The pinkette's eyes widened in shock but closed as he returned the kiss and wrapping his arms around the ice mage's neck, but pulled away for a moment "I love you Gray…thank you for saving me" he then kissed him again.

Gray placed his hands on Natsu's hips and pulled away. "I love you too, Idiot"


End file.
